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Collection by Heather Corcoran

How to Turn Hardware Store Finds Into an Inspired Light Fixture

Using easy-to-find components, designer Joel Evey makes the latest incarnation of his sculptural-yet-functional Lighht series of fixtures, exclusively for Dwell.

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"I pick the different elements for every build based on a few factors," says Evey. "One primary factor is color. Industrial parts are made in great colors like safety orange, dull gray, and high-visibility green, to name a few. The coloring of home product is typically very quiet, so I wanted to build lamps that went against that convention and made a statement."
"I pick the different elements for every build based on a few factors," says Evey. "One primary factor is color. Industrial parts are made in great colors like safety orange, dull gray, and high-visibility green, to name a few. The coloring of home product is typically very quiet, so I wanted to build lamps that went against that convention and made a statement."
"Another factor is form. I take into consideration the graphic quality of each component, as well as how they will interact as a whole," says Evey. "For example, I selected the flat bulbs because their rigidity plays off the flowing paracord-wrapped extension to create a push/pull that I find really compelling. I love focusing on the unexpected, be it color or texture, and I try to reflect that in every Lighht I create.”
"Another factor is form. I take into consideration the graphic quality of each component, as well as how they will interact as a whole," says Evey. "For example, I selected the flat bulbs because their rigidity plays off the flowing paracord-wrapped extension to create a push/pull that I find really compelling. I love focusing on the unexpected, be it color or texture, and I try to reflect that in every Lighht I create.”
"I started this project out of a desire to redefine the conventional aesthetics surrounding home objects. I wanted to challenge notions of both elegance and usability, and Lighht became a place for me to experiment with those ideas," Evey says. "Of course none of this takes place in a vacuum, I think of this work as sitting in dialog with more historical figures like Andrea Branzi, as well as contemporary designers like Martino Gamper and Brendan Timmins."
"I started this project out of a desire to redefine the conventional aesthetics surrounding home objects. I wanted to challenge notions of both elegance and usability, and Lighht became a place for me to experiment with those ideas," Evey says. "Of course none of this takes place in a vacuum, I think of this work as sitting in dialog with more historical figures like Andrea Branzi, as well as contemporary designers like Martino Gamper and Brendan Timmins."
"The design process starts by considering the amount of illumination needed, as well as the amount of physical space available. From there it’s a process of gathering components and materials," says Evey. "Next I experiment with composition and finishes until I have something both functional and formally intriguing. Then it is lovingly packaged and shipped off. Every Lighht is unique, so the process really changes from piece to piece."
"The design process starts by considering the amount of illumination needed, as well as the amount of physical space available. From there it’s a process of gathering components and materials," says Evey. "Next I experiment with composition and finishes until I have something both functional and formally intriguing. Then it is lovingly packaged and shipped off. Every Lighht is unique, so the process really changes from piece to piece."
"From a formal perspective, I was seeing a lot of digital collage work created in a 'Home Depot aesthetic,' and I was curious what would happen when those visual gestures were re-crystallized and the digital made real once again," says Evey. "I’m interested in the cycles of creative culture relating to the Internet, and I think we’ve only begun to see the depth of influence digitally birthed aesthetics will have on the 'real' world."
"From a formal perspective, I was seeing a lot of digital collage work created in a 'Home Depot aesthetic,' and I was curious what would happen when those visual gestures were re-crystallized and the digital made real once again," says Evey. "I’m interested in the cycles of creative culture relating to the Internet, and I think we’ve only begun to see the depth of influence digitally birthed aesthetics will have on the 'real' world."